National Blood Donor Month
January is National Blood Donor Month. Not many of us realize the impact of donating blood. According to the American Red Cross, donating one pint of blood can save up to three lives. Think about the blood needed for transfusions during or after important surgeries, or blood needed for victims of serious accidents. It takes about 20-30 minutes to donate one pint, and you could help save the life of a person in need
Each year, I think about ways to volunteer my time and pay it forward. Not until recently have I realized the importance of donating blood. Before it had been helping tutor kids after school, chaperoning events for the boys and Girls Club, donating non-perishable foot items, etc. After donating blood a few times at my work – Your Wellness Connection, I looked up some statistics about donating blood through the American Red Cross that was stunning:
- Less than 30% of the population is eligible to give blood
- Only 7% of people in the US have the Universal donor blood type, O Negative
- Every 2 seconds, someone is in need of a blood transfusion
- The two most common reasons why people do not donate are: “Never thought about it,” and “I don’t like needles.”
Donating blood can be an easy way to help your community. It is something rarely though of when throwing around the term “Community Service.” There are many ways to get involved in your community and lend a helping hand to those in need. In this New Year, make it a goal to pay it forward. The satisfaction from helping others can’t be beat. For more information, visit www.redcrossblood.org.
Hannah Rule | Marketing, Executive Assistant | Your Wellness Connection
